Entertainment NOW

2 • May 8 - 14, 2022 Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media T he phrase "through the magic of television" is one that many would have heard throughout the course of their lives. First used as a comparison between budding TV technology and wizard-like acts of conjury, HBO has created yet an- other meaning for the phrase. The network's new series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" takes a more literal approach to magic as it follows one man's worthwhile investment in a man nicknamed "Magic" and his then-uninspired basketball team: the Los Angeles Lakers. From their humble begin- nings as a small-time competitor, the Lakers soared to new heights in the NBA during the 1980s thanks to the guidance of busi- nessman Jerry Buss (portrayed by John C. Reilly, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," 2007) and the talent of the team's biggest star, No. 32, Earvin "Magic" Johnson (played by rising star Quincy Isa- iah, "Corporate Coffee," 2018). Tune in to catch the end of the saga's first season when "Win- ning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" airs its final episode Sunday, May 8, on HBO and its streamer, HBO Max. Officially renewed for a second season as of HBO's announce- ment following the show's April 3 episode (the highest episode for viewership so far with 1.2 million viewers registered across all platforms on premiere night, a 37% increase from the pilot's pre- miere), "Winning Time" has seen success on all audience fronts — not just from those interested in sports. This can no doubt be attributed to the series' engaging content, as well as the astounding talent behind the scenes and, of course, the amount of star power driving the action. In addition to comedy star Reilly in his leading (largely dra- matic) role, other major names at- tached to the series include Jason Clarke ("Zero Dark Thirty," 2012) as Lakers guard Jerry West (No. 44), Adrien Brody ("The Pianist," 2002) as NBA announcer-turned- Lakers-coach Pat Riley, Sally Field ("Forrest Gump," 1994) in the role of Jerry Buss's mother, Jessie, Tracy Letts ("The Post," 2017) as then- head coach Jack McKinney, and DeVaughn Nixon ("Snowfall") playing his own father, Lakers point guard Norm Nixon (No. 10). The Nixon family connection is particularly interesting as it adds a bit of realism and personal at- tachment to the series. That said, the similarities appear to end there for some of the real-life NBA players portrayed in the series. "You can't duplicate Show- time," Magic Johnson told Entertainment Tonight while at- tending the Apple TV+ premiere of another series, "The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey." "I'm not gonna watch. Now, if the Lakers or myself ... have something to do with it, then I would, but ... you can't copy that. It's just too much." While Johnson appears stead- fast in his doubts, many HBO viewers could not disagree more. Combined with a steady rise in views per episode, Deadline reported that as of the afternoon of March 15, "Winning Time's" pilot has already garnered more than 3.3 million views on HBO platforms alone. The televised story of the Lakers' rise closely follows that of American sportswriter Jeff Pearlman's account in his book "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dy- nasty of the 1980s," and as such, puts Johnson, Riley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (portrayed by new talent Solomon Hughes) front and center. Cover Story Adrien Brody and Spencer Garrett in "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" Setting up for another 'Win': Lakers series airs freshman finale, renewed for Season 2 Ready Rental 3 x 4 Hayley Siefert 3 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12.

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